Apple to open retail store on Santa Monica Boulevard

Apple Computer, Inc. will open a retail store in the upscale Century City Shopping Center on Santa Monica Boulevard, just 1 mile from Rodeo Drive, AppleInsider confirmed this afternoon.

The Apple store will occupy lot 177 of the Westfield Shoppingtown Century City Mall, which previously housed an Express for Men clothing store. The combined retail space of the location is an approximate 4,700 square-feet, slightly larger than the average Apple retail store of 4,000 square-feet.

Century City mall employees were already aware of Apple's plans to open a retail store, and said that the store was due to open anytime from September to November of 2004. However, an official in Westfield Group Management confirmed that Apple has yet to set a specific launch date, stating only that the store would open during the Winter.

The Century City Mall currently houses an "iPod Station" that operates out of a mall cart on the first level of the venue, selling iPods and accessories.

Given its locale, Century City is the mall of choice for many residents of Beverly Hills and Westwood, often attracting numerous Hollywood stars and famous faces.

Outside, the mall is surrounded by the gleaming towers and fountains of Century City, adjacent to the Century City Plaza Hotel, which has been known to accommodate several United States Presidents over the years.

The Century City store will be the 9th Apple retail store to open around the Los Angeles-region.